Archive for 'Arimidex'

This lab was my first check of Estradiol and occurred just before I started the aromatase inhibitor Arimidex to control this strongest estrogen in men. I had just started Testim 5g/day with no HCG. Estradiol is also known as E2 and is blamed often for libido and erection issues. There is a great deal of talk about Estradiol needing to be at a certain “sweet spot” often reported as around 25 pg/mL. In this lab my value is 82 pg/ml, which is high given the lab range reported for men as less than or equal to 29 pg/mL.

Note the really important lesson here is twofold. First, the “sweep spot” theory is just that – a theory, and a bunk one at that. While it may be true in some men, and at the time of this test I thought I found the cause of my own libido issues, later when my levels were steady at a number greater than 82pg/mL functioning and sexual appetite were more than just fine. My sweet spot seems to be a range that is not too high (what that number is I do not know) or too low. Second, the real metric of interest is a stable level that is not bouncing around all over the place.

First I must divorce any misconception this is the first flirtation with TRT. About 8 years ago, after taking the blood pressure medication Prinzide – a combination Thiazide diuretic/ACE inhibitor – I had a collapse after four days. Profound in nature, this event changed my life. From a strapping young man capable of 100 push-ups, I could not longer manage even 10. A visit to a local endocrinologist indicated all of my endocrine systems were compromised. Suddenly I was diabetic, I became seriously depressed, and all of my muscles experienced a weakness that was frightening. This included my diaphragm and I required a velcro weight belt to provide support and assist in relieving any weight on the diaphragm just so I could breathe.

I immediately began to treat the depression, and began an exercise program that consisted of 100 deep-knee bends, as many push-ups as I could handle, and walking for short distances. After the depression resolved itself, additional tests which indicated high cortisol and I barely passed a dexamethasone supression test. Failure of this test is indicative of adrenal issues. Measured testosterone was very low at 185 ng/dL. I decided to treat the testosterone only and attempted both Androgel and Testim, finally deciding on the Testim. I saw many specialists including a neurologist, a lung specialist, a neurosurgeon, and a cardiologist. After over fifty thousand dollars worth of tests they found….nothing wrong. MRIs, stress tests, multiple visits to my general practitioner and nothing, nada, zilch. I first suspected rhabdomyolysis, which testing quickly ruled out. MRIs of the pituitary, hypothalamus, and adrenals were negative. The only conclusion offered by one doctor – I suffered from a variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome, an ascending paralysis that in the worse cases becomes complete, with the patient on a ventilator. The disease usually resolves itself after a period of months, weeks, and sometimes years.

There are four main types of testosterone replacement that are available.

Transdermal testosterone includes patches (which will not be covered due to their low absorption rates) and gels such as Testim and Androgel, which are both 1% concentrations, and creams from a compounding pharmacy which range from concentrations of 1% to 10% with higher concentration rates equating to lower skin surface area for application. A study indicated Testim absorption to be better than Androgel, however my personal experience is that both are good absorbers. The smell of Testim turns most men off to its use, but I found that women particularly like the odor. However, my insurance does not cover Testim. Androgel efficacy is improved in my case by rubbing it on the flanks as well as the arms. Remember, the more surface area the higher the DHT, which can lead to unwanted side effects such as acne, accelerated hair loss in those prone to male pattern baldness, and hair growth in unwanted areas. However, the boost in libido and improvement in erections is noticeable for me. Shots, mentioned next, worked fine in my case for about 1 month. Two months into the treatment I had profound lack of libido and total erectile dysfunction unresponsive to PDE5 inhibitors such as Viagra and Levitra.